Kick Overwhelm to the Curb with… Five Easy Steps to Getting Sh*t Done!

By Catherine Corcoran

Feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day?

Do you find yourself thinking about the mountain of things you have to accomplish—telling yourself that you’re definitely going to get to everything on your ‘To-Do’ list—only to have the entire day go by leaving many tasks incomplete… if you even started any of them at all!

Sound like you? Fear not Accelerated Artist! Because here are five steps to eliminate your overwhelm and accomplish everything you need to kick your career into high gear!

1.) Assess your Time:

Before you even create a list of things to ‘get done,’ you need to know where your time is already going!

Make a list of everything you do throughout the course of the day—and be honest with yourself!

Include your work schedule and fitness routines, and also be sure to include those 15 minute power-naps and time you spend scrolling through Instagram each day.

And hey—I’m not knocking naps—sometimes they’re necessary for your sanity—it’s about honestly reflecting on where your time is going. It’s the only way you’re going to be able to factor in the extra things you want to accomplish…like launching your killer acting career!

2.) Get Physical:

Now that you have a list of all the things you already do on a daily basis, now it’s time to make room for the things you want to do, and haven’t…yet.

This is where your ‘To-Do’ list comes in.

Creating a physical document (or list in your smartphone) of everything you need to accomplish on a daily basis is a great start, however, in order to really maximize your time, you’ll want to schedule your tasks as well.

Plug all the information from both of your lists into your calendar so you have a physical reminder of exactly a) when you have time and b) when you are going to accomplish your tasks.

3.) Create Systems:

Congratulations! Your calendar is your first organizational system to kicking your career into high gear!

However, in order to fully maximize your success, systems also need to carry over to each individual task.

So once you have systems in place for how you submit for roles, post on social media, answer emails, etc, completing these tasks becomes even more efficient because then accomplishing them becomes mere muscle memory.

Here’s an example re: your social media posts. On Instagram, rather than spending extra time toying with new filters or messing around with different layers in your picture editing, keep track of the filters and settings you already use.

As human beings, you’re generally visually attracted to the same things, so when you go through your posting history you’ll find that you’ve been using the same filters quite a bit.

Take note and write down what those filters are named, what settings you’re using, and deliberately repeat them. Not only will it save you TONS of time (because you’ll already know what you’re looking for), it will also help to create a more unified look on your page- that ultimately solidifies your branding.

4.) Set Reminders:

As artists, you’re constantly running around and multitasking, so it’s easy to get wrapped up in certain activities and lose track of time.

Lucky for you, most calendar apps have the ability to set Reminders or Alerts up to days before a scheduled event.

Give yourself extra notice by setting an alert 20-30 minutes before you have to switch to another task. This will help you know when to wrap up that coffee meeting, or remind you that the subway has been acting wonky and you better leave a few minutes early.

5.) Make Adjustments:

One of our Accelerated Mantras is ‘Systems Don’t Have Feelings’ and this applies to your systems as well.

Meaning, when something isn’t working for you, don’t be afraid to tweak it!

Change is inevitable and, lucky for you as an artist, you are your own small business owner! YOU have the ability to run your business in whatever way works best for you.

Don’t be afraid to change your half hour alert to an hour, or work in an extra nap when it serves you. Always remember: you are in control of your business and have the ability to accomplish everything that you could possibly want in your career- so find a way to do it that works best for you!